A June 2006 survey by Sonar Research and Marketing, conducted for Aksam daily, found that 29% of respondents would vote for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) if elections were held immediately, followed by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) at 19%, the True Path Party (DYP) at 12%, and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) at 8%.
Tracking earlier polls reveals a sharp directional shift. AKP support stood at 43% in January, dropped to 33% in April, and reached 29% in June. CHP support moved in the opposite direction, climbing from 13% in January to 19% in June.
The same survey asked respondents to name Türkiye's most pressing problem. Some 57% cited unemployment, 15% pointed to the high cost of living, and only about 4% named ideological concerns such as threats to secularism or the headscarf debate, suggesting economic anxiety far outweighs cultural issues for most voters.
Columnist Turker Alkan of Radikal attributed the AKP's decline to prolonged headscarf controversies, questions about the party's commitment to European Union membership, and concerns over corruption, all while unemployment and rising prices went unaddressed. He noted that the trend, if uninterrupted, could eventually force early elections.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.